A 15–16 cm tyrant flycatcher with a large-headed appearance and a very conspicuous broad white eyebrow above a dark gray mask. Throat grayish; breast dark cinnamon that becomes intense cinnamon on the belly. Undertail white to light cinnamon. Crown brownish gray; upperparts uniform grayish brown, sometimes slightly washed with cinnamon (subsp. oenanthoides in Argentina). Wings dark brown with 1–2 cinnamon wing bars. Tail dark with a white outer edge on the outermost rectrix. Bill black and sharp; legs black. Sexes alike. Juvenile shows a creamy eyebrow and a browner appearance. Differs from the White-browed Ground-Tyrant (O. leucophrys) by its intense cinnamon belly, contrasting gray throat, and by occupying higher elevations (3400–4200 m) than leucophrys (2000–3400 m).
Geographic distribution: Andes from northern and central Peru, extreme northern Chile (Arica), western Bolivia, and northwestern Argentina through Salta, Jujuy, Tucumán, and Catamarca, south to La Rioja; between 3400–4200 m (occasionally lower). In winter descends to lower ravines or areas with less snow.
Habitat: High Andean shrub-steppes and ravines, rocky slopes, open queñoa (Polylepis) woodlands, and dry shrub–grass mosaics. Occurs in ravines with shrubs, rock outcrops, exposed slopes, and Andean villages.
Behavior: Solitary or in pairs. Perches very upright on dry branches, shrubs, or posts. Hunts through short sallies from a perch, often returning to the same spot. Usually quiet, though more vocal during the breeding season. Its call is a sharp “kvee,” and its song is a strong, rhythmic, repeated series, sometimes in duets.
Diet: Arthropods caught on the wing or by hopping to the ground. Watches from a perch and sallies toward prey.
Reproduction: Nest in cavities of cliffs or rocky walls: an open cup built with plant fibers.
Conservation status: Not considered threatened. Common in suitable high-Andean habitats.
Authors of this compilation: Diego Carus and Maria Belén Dri – 06/12/2025